Dressing tool method and means

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a method and means of dressing abutting shoulders of oil well drill pipe stems on location. More particularly, this invention is a dressing tool means having spring-biased abrasive plates engageable with the shoulders of mating pipe stems. The method of dressing pipe joints involves the steps of utilizing the working tongs and the drill rotary table for the required power to efficiently and effectively dress abutting shoulders of drill pipe stems on location.

United States Patent Prentiss Whited 603 N. Jackson, Pratt, Kans. 67124 847,024

Aug. 4, 1969 May 25, 197 l Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented DRESSING TOOL METHOD AND MEANS 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 51/20911, 51/2418, 51/281R Int. Cl. 824d 5/00, 824d 7/00, B24b 19/00 Field of Search ..51/209, 241

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,451,729 10/1948 Gardner 51/209X 3,142,139 7/1964 Mangum 51/2418 Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr. Att0mey.lohn H. Widdowson DING TOOL METHOD AND MEANS In various types of drill collar or other tool joints and especially of the type employed in drilling or tubing strings of oil wells or the like, the joints are usually fomied by a pair of joint sections having cooperating male and female tapered threads. The shoulder portions of these tapered threads are adapted and intended to have a face to face setting and abutting engagement with each other thereby limiting further engagement of the thread. However, as the tapered cooperating threads become worn, it is necessary to move the joints axially towards each other to take up for the wear between the threads and thus secure interengagement of the threads. However, such necessary further axial movement is prevented by the abutting engagement of the mating surfaces of the shoulder portions of the joint section and such must be dressed periodically to maintain proper thread engagement. Also, the shoulder portions must be dressed periodically in order to maintain a firm fluid-sealing engagement therewith to prevent the leakage of drilling mud therefrom.

Numeroustypes of shoulder facing tools are known in the prior art operable to dress shoulderson drill pipe systems or the like. The prior-art devices are generally powered by an electrical drill member requiring the external tooling and electrical power supply. Also, the prior-art structures are generally difficult to use and expensive to manufacture so as to be inappropriate for use in dressing mating drill pipe stems at the oil field rig location;

In one embodiment of this invention, a dressing tool means is provided having a main housing assembly with a dressing means connected thereto. The housing assembly includes a housing member having a backup plate and an anchor assembly connected thereto. The housing assembly is of generally cylindrical shape of a diameter sufficient to easily fit about the outer periphery of drill pipe stems. The backup is extended transversely of the axis of the housing member and welded inside thereof. The backup plate is provided with a plurality of spaced upright support lugs and a central hole for reasons to become obvious. The anchor assembly is provided with a plurality of setscrew members about the outer periphery of the housing member threadably mounted within respective nut members and movable transversely of the housing member so as to be engageable with the pipe stem when in use. The dressing means includes a lower dressing assembly operably connected by a biasing means to an upper dressing assembly. The lower dressing assembly includes an abrasive disc mountable against the lower surface of the backup plate; a stabilizer plate placed against the lower surface of the abrasive disc; and a connector means having an attachment nut and bolt member in order to clamp the stabilizer plate, abrasive disc, and backup plate securely together. The biasing means includes a plurality of compression spring members, each having the lower end mounted about respective ones of the support lugs on the backup plate. The upper dressing assembly includes a support plate adapted to receive an abrasive plate thereon. The lower surface of the support plate is also provided with a plurality of downwardly extended support lugs to receive the upper end of the compression springs thereabout for proper axial retention and alignment. The inner surface of the'housing member is provided with a longitudinally extended guide key adapted to be received within respective keyway slots in the abrasive disc, support plate, and abrasive plate to hold these respective elements against rotation during operation of the dressing tool means of this invention.

In one preferred embodiment of the dressing tool method of this invention, it is to be noted that the dressing tool means is mounted about the upper end of a lower pipestem and secured thereto as by the setscrew members. Thereupon, the upper pipe stem can be lowered downwardly into engagement with the abrasive plate of the upper dressing assembly. Next, the upper pipe stem is held against rotational movement by working tongs while the lower pipe stem with the interconnected dressing tool means is rotated by the rotary table in a conventional manner which results in a dressing of the shoulder of the upper pipe stern by the abrasive plate. Thereafter, the setscrews may be loosened whereupon the dressing tool means is held by the working tongs and the rotary table is rotated to achieve a dressing of the upper shoulder of the lower pipe stem.

One object of this invention is to provide a dressing tool method and means overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior-art devices.

Still, one other object of this invention is to provide a dressing tool means which is readily connectable to the lower one of abutting pipe stems and, with the use of the working tongs and the rotary table found in oil field operations, efficiently and effectively dress the abutting shoulders of respective pipe stems.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dressing tool means having spring-biased abrasive plates engageable with the abutting shoulders of pipe stems to dress the same in a minimum amount of time on location at an oil rig.

One further object of this invention is to provide a dressing tool method whereupon abutting male and female pipe stems can be efficiently and effectively dressed with a minimum amount of interruption of the oil rig operation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a dressing tool method and means having a structure which is-economical to manufacture, simple to use, and substantially maintenance free; and a method with simple to follow steps to efficiently and effectively dress pipe stems on location requiring a minimum loss of time and labor for substantial monetary savings.

Various other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following discussion taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the dressing. tool means of this invention as mounted about abutting oilfield pipe stems on an oil derrick;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the dressing tool means of this invention illustrating the adjacent pipe stems in dotted lines for clarity;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the dressing tool means of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2';

FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the operation of the method of using the dressing tool means of this invention to dress the shoulder on the upper pipe stem and FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating the method of using the dressing tool means to dress the shoulder on the lower pipe stem.

The following is a discussion and description of preferred specific embodiments of the new dressing tool method and means of this invention, such being made with reference to the drawings, whereupon the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts and/or structure. It is to be understood that such discussion and description is not to unduly limit the scope of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIG. 1, a dressing tool means of this invention, indicated generally at 12, is shown as mounted between upper and lower oil drillpipe stems l4 and 16. The lower pipe stem 16 is mounted within an upright casing 18 and secured to a rotary table 20 on an oil .well rig 21.

The conventional oil well rig 21 is provided with the powered rotary table 20 which is rotatable for purposes of attaching and disconnecting the abutting pipe stems l4'and 16. Additionally, around an oil rig 21, it is conventional to have working tong members 23 which are manually operable through the use of roughnecks in order to grasp one of the pipe stems 14, 16 to hold the same against rotation when rotating the other pipe stem.

The dressing tool means 12 includes a housing assembly 24 having a dressing means 26 connected thereto. The housing assembly 24 includes a main housing member 28; a backup plate 29 secured to the housing member 28; and an anchor assembly 31 connected to the housing member 28. The housing member 28 is of a generally cylindrical shape of a diameter sufficient to freely fit about the outer diameter of the pipe stems 14 and 16. An elongated guide key 33 is welded to the inner surface of the housing member 28 extended longitudinally and axially thereof to prevent rotational movement of portions of the dressing means 26 as will become obvious. The guide key 33 is preferrably constructed of a hardened A-inch square key stock material.

The backup plate 29 is extended transversely of the axis of the housing member 28 having its outer peripheral edge secured to the inner surface of the housing member 28 as by welding or the like. The backup plate 29 is provided with a plurality of spaced upwardly extended support lugs 34 as shown in FIG. 2 and having a central hole 36 for attachment purposes as will be explained in detail.

The anchor assembly 31 is constructed of a plurality, name- 1y, four setscrew members 38, each respectively threadably mounted within nut members 39 which are secured to the outer surface of the housing member 28 in equal quadrants as by welding. The housing member 28 is provided with holes 41 to be aligned with the respective setscrew members 38 for anchoring the dressing tool means 12 to the lower pipe stem 16 as will be explained.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the dressing means 26 includes a lower dressing assembly 44 secured to the under surface of the backup plate 29 and an upper dressing assembly 46 connected by a biasing means 48 to the backup plate 29. The lower dressing assembly 44 includes an abrasive disc 51 mounted against the under surface of the backup plate 29 through the use of a stabilizer plate 53 and a connector means 54. The abrasive disc 51 is placed firmly against the backup plate 29 having a lower abrasive surface 56 adapted to engage a shoulder of the lower pipe stem 16 as will be explained.

The stabilizer plate 53 is preferably of a disc shape having a central opening 58 and adapted to be aligned with a similar opening 60 in the abrasive disc 51. The connector means 54 includes an attachment bolt member 63 to be extended through the aligned hole 36 and openings 58, 60 having a nut member 64 threadably engageable upon the upper end thereof to securely clamp the abrasive disc 51 against the backup plate 29.

The biasing means 48 includes a plurality, namely, four compression spring members 65 each having a lower end mounted about a respective one of the support lugs 34 on the upper surface of the backup plate 29.

The upper dressing assembly 46 includes a main support plate 66 having an abrasive plate 68 mounted against the upper surface thereof. The support plate 66 is provided with downwardly extended support lugs 69 equally spaced about its periphery so as to be positioned within the upper ends of the compression spring members 65 to maintain the same in proper vertical alignment during usage. It is also seen that the support plate 66 and the abrasive plate 68 are each provided with an enlarged central opening 71 adapted to receive the male threads of the upper pipe stem 14 therethrough. It is to be noted that the abrasive disc 51, the abrasive plate 68, and the support plate 66 are all provided with a notch or keyway slot indicated at 74 to receive the guide key 33 of the housing member 28 therewithin so as to prevent rotational movement of these respective parts during usage as will become obvious.

As shown in FIG. 3, it is seen that the dressing tool means 12 of this invention is readily assembled through the use of placing the compression spring members 65 about the respective vertically aligned pairs of support lugs 69 and 34 on the support plate 66 and the backup plate 29 so as to resiliently bias the support plate 66 and interconnected abrasive plate 68 upwardly. Also, it is obvious that the abrasive plate 68 may be readily replaced as required when the same becomes worn through its usage. It is noted that the abrasive disc 51 is held against the backup plate 29 by the connector means 54 in a rigid compact manner and having the stabilizer plate 53 of a diameter to fit within the open end of the lower female pipe stem 16 to assure proper alignment therewith. Also, the stabilizer plate 53 operates to maintain rigidity of the abrasive disc 51 during usage and it is also obvious that the abrasive disc 51 can be easily replaced when worn through usage.

in practicing the method of dressing the abutting shoulders of the pipe stems 14 and 16 utilizing the dressing tool means 12 of this invention, the steps are as follows:

1. The lower pipe stem 16 is first anchored within the rotary table 20 as through the use of conventional locking features as found in the oil rig operation.

2. The dressing tool means 12 is anchored to the lower pipe stem 16 as by placing the housing member 28 about the pipe stem 16 so that the lower abrasive disc 51 is in engagement with the upper shoulder indicated at 76 of the lower pipe stem 16.

3. Next, the anchor assembly 31 is utilized by having the four setscrew members 38 threaded inwardly into engagement with the outer peripheral surface indicated at 78 of the lower pipe stem 16.

4. The upper pipe stem 14 is then moved downwardly so as to place the end threaded portion indicated at 81 through the aligned openings 71. The upper pipe stem 14 is lowered until the lower edge is against the upper surface of the backup plate 29 whereupon it is obvious that the abrasive plate 68 is engaged under force of the compression springs 65 with a shoulder 83 of the upper pipe stem 14.

5. The upper pipe stem 14 is thereupon grasped by the working tong members 23 so as to hold the same against rotation.

6. The rotary table 20 on the oil rig 21 is energized to rotate the lower pipe stem 16 and interconnected dressing tool means 12. This causes abrasive action against the shoulder 83 of the upper pipe stem 14 so as to dress the same.

7. After dressing the upper pipe stem 14, the rotary table 20 is deenergized and the setscrew members 38 are loosened as shown in FIG. 6 whereupon the dressing tool means 12 is grasped by the working tong members 23 to be held against rotational movement.

8. The rotary table 20 is again energized so as to rotate the interconnected lower pipe stem 16.

9. The lower abrasive disc 51 is biased downwardly by the compression spring members 65 so as to engage the upper shoulder 76 of the lower pipe stem 16 to dress the same as required.

10. Finally, it is obvious that the stem 14 can be moved upwardly whereupon the entire dressing tool means 12 can be removed from the lower pipe stem 16 and this operation may then be repeated on other mating pipe stems as required.

It is seen that the method of this invention provides easy to follow steps for the efficient and effective dressing of the shoulders of abutting oilfield pipe stems without requiring the removal and conveyance of the pipe stem to a remote location for machining operations. Additionally, the method of this invention provides simple to follow steps requiring a minimum amount of time and effort in order to dress the abutting shoulders of pipe stems. The method of this invention is extremely beneficial in that you are finishing the abutting portions of the pipe stems to assure proper fitting and sealing to prevent fluid leakage.

The dressing tool means of this invention provides a structure which is economical to manufacture and easily mountable between adjacent ends of abutting pipe stems so as to efficiently and effectively dress the abutting shoulders. More particularly, the dressing tool means of this invention is readily usable by one not skilled in the machining art and utilizes the power supply found in all oil well drilling rigs in order to provide the force for grinding of the subject abutting pipe stems. The dressing tool means of this invention is simple to use, reliable in operation, and provided with easily replaceable abrasive disc members to achieve the utmost efficiency in operation.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with the preferred specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that this description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

A dressing tool means adapted to dress shoulders on adjacent axially aligned first and second pipe members, comprising;

. said upper dressing assembly having an abrasive plate resiliently engageable with a shoulder on the first pipe member by said connector means to dress the shoulder on relative rotation between said dressing tool means and the first pipe member.

. A dressing tool means as described in claim 1, wherein; said upper dressing assembly having a support member to engage said abrasive plate, said support member having a plurality of downwardly extending spaced lugs thereon, and

said connecting means having a plurality of compression spring members mounted about respective ones of said support lugs and against said support means to bias said upper dressing assembly to engagement with the first pipe member.

A dressing tool means as described in claim 2, wherein; said abrasive plate and said support member having enlarged central openings therein to receive the male end of the first pipe member therethrough but having the diameter such that the abrasive plate engages the shoulder on the first pipe member for dressing the same.

4. A dressing tool means as described in claim 3, wherein; a. said support means including a rigid backup plate welded to the inner surface of said housing member and having a plurality of upright extended lugs to receive the lower respective ends of said compression spring members to maintain proper vertical alignment and retention during usage.

5. A dressing tool as described in claim 2, wherein; a. said lower dressing assembly including an abrasive disc secured to the lower surface of said support means through the use of a bolt member, and

. said abrasive disc extended transversely of the axis of said housing member to be placed against the upper shoulder of the second pipe member for dressing the same on relative rotational movement.

. A dressing tool means as described in claim 1, wherein; said housing member of a generally cylindrical shape and said housing member having an axially extended guide key secured to the inner surface thereof, and

. said abrasive plate having a keyway slot to receive the guide key therein to prevent rotational movement of said abrasive plate during usage.

. A dressing tool means as described in claim 6, wherein: said lower dressing assembly having an abrasive disc secured to said backup plate member by a stabilizer plate and bolt member; and

. said abrasive disc having a keyway slot therein to receive the guide key to prevent relative rotational movement during engagement with the first and second pipe members. 

1. A dressing tool means adapted to dress shoulders on adjacent axially aligned first and second pipe members, comprising; a. a housing assembly including a housing member mountable about the pipe members having a support means secured to said housing member extended transversely of the axis of the pipe members, b. a dressing means connected to said housing assembly having a lower dressing assembly, an upper dressing assembly, and a means connecting said upper dressing assembly to said support means, and c. said upper dressing assembly having an abrasive plate resiliently engageable with a shoulder on the first pipe member by said connector means to dress the shoulder on relative rotation between said dressing tool means and the first pipe member.
 2. A dressing tool means as described in claim 1, wherein; a. said upper dressing assembly having a support member to engage said abrasive plate, said support member having a plurality of downwardly extending spaced lugs thereon, and b. said connecting means having a plurality of compression spring members mounted about respective ones of said support lugs and against said support means to bias said upper dressing assembly to engagement with the first pipe member.
 3. A dressing tool means as described in claim 2, wherein; a. said abrasive plate and said support member having enlarged central openings therein to receive the male end of the first pipe member therethrough but having the diameter such that the abrasive plate engages the shoulder on the first pipe member for dressing the same.
 4. A dressing tool means as described in claim 3, wherein; a. said support means including a rigid backup plate welded to the inner surface of said housing member and having a plurality of upright extended lugs to receive the lower respective ends of said compression spring members to maintain proper vertical alignment and retention during usage.
 5. A dressing tool as described in claim 2, wherein; a. said lower dressing assembly including an abrasive disc secured to the lower surface of said support means through the use of a bolt member, and b. said abrasive disc extended transversely of the axis of said housing member to be placed against the upper shoulder of the second pipe member for dressing the same on relative rotational movement.
 6. A dressing tool means as described in claim 1, whereiN; a. said housing member of a generally cylindrical shape and said support means being a backup plate member welded to and extended transversely of the axis of said housing member, b. said housing member having an axially extended guide key secured to the inner surface thereof, and c. said abrasive plate having a keyway slot to receive the guide key therein to prevent rotational movement of said abrasive plate during usage.
 7. A dressing tool means as described in claim 6, wherein: a. said lower dressing assembly having an abrasive disc secured to said backup plate member by a stabilizer plate and bolt member; and b. said abrasive disc having a keyway slot therein to receive the guide key to prevent relative rotational movement during engagement with the first and second pipe members. 